Best Films of 2012

[Pyro Tramp]

Couldn't find a definitive list for everyone's 2012 Best (or Worst) Lists

Took this from my thread (UK releases) that have updated through the year:

Top of 2012

The year of high-rises and limos.


The Raid

http://www.fmvmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/The-Raid4.jpg

A completely unsuspecting, hyper-kinetic, blood splattered action film. Pulls every punch to a pumping soundtrack, by a director with an excellent eye for filming fast paced martial arts.


Sightseers

http://www.theedgesusu.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Sightseers-with-Dog.jpg

A picture of traditional English values and culture offset against a murderous couple with upbeat intentions. Deliciously black and well written characters in a natural script that continue to put Wheatley at the forefront of British cinema


Berberian Sound Studio

http://cf.badassdigest.com/_uploads/images/25484/berberian-sound-studio__span.jpg

Hard to think this is only Strickland's second feature as it's handled with such brash confidence and so finely crafted. At once a homage to 70s gaillo but also an introspective on the mechanics behind the screen with an avant-garde Lynchian narrative. For a film effectively about recording sounds it leaves an unforgettable experience.


Cabin in the Woods

http://www.crowsnbones.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/cabin-in-the-woods-2.jpg

A keenly observed deconstruction of the genre while serving as one of the most competent and effective horror films since Scream.


Moonrise Kingdom

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2012/1/13/1326464689675/Moonrise-Kingdom-007.jpg

A typical Wes Anderson film capturing all his charm and quirky sensibilities with a great supporting cast but in particular the young stars carry the film and it's heart.


Holy Motors

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5bChspXYt0

Bizarre but brilliant compilation of odd characters and situations brought to life by a magnetic Lavant through non narrative that maintains intrigue throughout. The embedded (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5bChspXYt0) doesn't seem to work but it's probably clip of the year. Watch it


Amour

http://www.theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/images/stories/FILM/Emma_Simmonds/Amour%20-%20Jean-Louis%20Trintignant.jpg

A poignant tale of old age, beautiful but brutal. Haneke removes his clinical distance and instead of audience complicity in violence, he throws you right in with thoroughly empathetic characters and situation then typically crushes you


Cosmopolis

http://www.slantmagazine.com/images/house/festivals/cosmopolis.jpg

Another limousine based film from the superlative Cronenberg, offering a worryingly accurate meditation on current society with a surprisingly watchable Pattinson.


Looper

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/181907hvam7rvjpg/xlarge.jpg

The film Inception wishes it was. Smart, well cast and sticks firmly within it's constraints yet being more inventive than most films you'll see this year.


Dredd

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2012/09/Dredd3D.jpg

The second trapped-in-a-towerblock film. Should have done a lot better; simple, effective and brutal. A lot of fun in a brisk film that works a tight budget and uses 3D to it's advantage


The Master

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/6/27/1340812005247/The-Master-9-008.jpg

Hard to penetrate, no discernible narrative yet a film I keep wanting to revisit and dive further into.

The Avengers
The Hobbit
Shame
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Argo
Searching for Sugar Man
21 Jump Street
Beasts of the Southern Wilds

Let's have 'em!

[mattcote]

great list, but I still think Looper was overrated...for me: (no order)

1- Django Unchained
2- The Master
3- The Raid: Redemption
4- Killing Them Softly
5- Life Of Pi
6- Amour
7- Zero Dark Thirty
8- Beasts of the Southern Wild
9- The Cabin in the Woods
10- Moonrise Kingdom

[Pyro Tramp]

A lot of similarities, except Django and Zero haven't been released yet. Saw Killing Them Softly last night, not quite sure yet. Was expected more from it, I think.

Amour is probably one last to sweep up before happy with my list, Ruby Sparks and Bernie being two others.

[Daniel M]

I'll rate what I've seen, still got absolutely loads to watch but the good ones IMO, the ratings change slightly depending on how I feel as well :P :

Killing Them Softly (literally just watched this) 4.5
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 4
Skyfall 4
The Dark Knight Rises 4
Ted 4
Brave 4
The Amazing Spider-Man 3.5

[rauldc14]

This is pretty much a beginners list as there is a ton that I need to see and probably will see in the next 2 months:

1. Flight 9/10
2. The Avengers 8.5/10
3. Skyfall 7/10
4. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 7/10
5. Ted 7/10
6. Guilt Trip 6.5/10
7. Rise of the Guardians 6.5/10
8. Lincoln 6.5/10
9. Hotel Transylvania 6/10
10. The Vow 5/10

I know I will probably catch some flack for having Lincoln where it is, but it really dragged for me and I honestly thought it would be a lot better than what it was. I think Day-Lewis did his part, but Spielberg and the rest of the cast could have made this much much better.

[ManOf1000Faces]

1. Django Unchained
http://s3.manifo.com/usr/e/ea57/b2/manager/django_unchained_dicaprio_online-free.jpg

( This movie, the most bloodiest & amazing film I've seen in a long time, I'm a big Tarantino fan and he surprised me again with this Shoot em up movie)

2. Seven Psychopaths
http://filmmusicreporter.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/sevenpsychopaths.jpg

(I laughed until my sides hurt, This film was true amazing dialogue and a story to make you brighten up your day in a quick swipe)

3. Imaginaerum
http://www.imaginaerum.com/images/poster_0.jpg

(The most mysterious & weirdest film I ever seen, there was no minute i missed where I was asking myself what the hell is going on? I enjoyed it soo much)

4. The Avengers
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YpoQnxKPYVA/T6A6z1DgrCI/AAAAAAAAC9g/ZHrZgElfCJ0/s1600/Marvels-The-Avengers2012-Wallpaper-2.jpeg

(One of the best films ever made, being a big Thor fan and seeing Loki plan out the destruction. This movie was very enjoyable & amazing)


5. Batman The Dark Knight Rises
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rzPRGm7wJro/UBHfYr6VFhI/AAAAAAAAB44/Mpk9jbW1Sks/s1600/The-Dark-Knight-Rises.jpg

(A great way to end the franchise of Nolan's Batman. This movie sent chills down my spine and gave me the amazing feel of a true Batman film.)


6. Moonrise Kingdom
http://www.impawards.com/2012/posters/moonrise_kingdom_ver2.jpg

(One of the weirdest movies I've seen, This movie had moments where I was confused but weirdly entertained. I loved the comedy,adventure and the teenage love.)


7.The Hobbit
http://www.filmofilia.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/the_hobbit_movie_wallpaper.jpg

(This film was very enjoyable, The fantasy of dwarfs & hobbits fighting the nightmares of the land. It was incredibly made and a movie that you should see twice on the big screen.)

8. Lincoln
http://theiowarepublican.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Lincoln.jpg

(An amazing movie of one our Presidents, Abraham Lincoln. The acting was truly phenomenal and epic! I felt Lincoln's deep thoughts true to my heart and Daniel's performance made me speechless. He captured the character of Honest Abe so greatly. That movie is way more than seeing it twice in the theaters.

9. Life Of Pi
http://www.containsmoderateperil.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Life-of-Pi-3D-poster.jpg

(True storytelling, this film captured my innocence and took it on a joy ride. Pi had amazing imagery, poetic elements, acting and comedy. This film sent my emotions on a roller coaster. Truly amazing.

[Brodinski]

I really haven't watched a lot that was released in 2012 (I think maybe 25-30 films), but for now I'd go with:

1. Jagten (Vinterberg): 4.5
2. Killing Them Softly (Dominik): 4+
3. Magic Mike (Soderbergh): 4+
4. End of Watch (Ayer): 3.5+
5. The Turn Horse (Tarr): 3.5+

[TheGirlWhoHadAllTheLuck x]

I haven't watched much but I'll go for Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and The Avengers, out of what I've seen. I haven't seen any of the superhero movies but still enjoyed The Avengers.

[Uncle Rico]

Glad to see some love for The Hobbit. Definitely the most underrated film of the year.

I haven't seen much this year, but I'll give a short list:

1. Looper
2. Brave (also underrated, a great little fable)
3. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
4. Moonrise Kingdom
5. The Dark Knight Rises
6. Perks of Being a Wallflower
7. The Avengers

[donniedarko]

Here (http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=28500&page=5) is my full list of films I've seen and rankings. But I guess I'll do some short wrote ups here for my top three. I rated all of them 4

1. Argo (Affleck)
This was a stunningly good political thriller. It's Afflecks third film (following The Town and Gone Baby Gone. And is his best of the three. It had excellent humor that had me laughing more than any comedy this year. It was filled with thrills, and moments of nerve freezing intensity. It was accurate and shows news reels along side the film, making you feel like you're in the time and place. The supporting actors Goodman, Arkin, and Cranston were perfect for there roles, and pushed the film forward. Holds the screenplay of the year without a doubt, an is my favorite movie.

2. Django Unchained (Tarantino)
Before the first teaser was even out I was pumped. Christoph Waltz stole the show again as he did in Inglorious Basterds. This was as bloody as you'd imagine and held no punches. DiCaprio was a devious villain aided by Samuel L. Jackson, and Foxx was incredibly mature. The score added a silly feeling, it was western mixed with grindhouse. I think it could've been a but cut down, but it truly didn't feel like almost three hours. Took risks, and puelld them off. Another trophy for Tarantino.

3. Moonrise Kingdom (W. Anderson)
This was the only Wes Anderson I've seen to that date, and it was splendid. Had a great use of wilderness and boy scout colors, and was a simple romance of two run away adolescents. It never felt real, but more like a dollhouse that Anderson was sitting and playing with. Willis had a great performance, and the screenplay was fun.

Notable mentions: Prometheus, Jeff who Lives at Home, Rampart


Also some themes I noticed in 2012
-All star casts. Seven Psychopaths, Looper, The Master, Killing Them Softly, and all of my top three drafted absolute all star casts.
-movies that revolve around future sequels. E.G. The Hobbit, Avengers, and Hunger games.
- political balls out comedies like The Dictator and The Campaign
- Documentaries about criminals and justice system. E.g. Central Park Five, West of Memphis, The Invisible War, and The Imposter.

[mojofilter]

The Movies I Liked:

Haywire
The Grey
Chronicle
Project X
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen
Jeff Who Lives At Home
21 Jump Street
Hunger Games
Titanic 3D
Bernie
The Avengers
American Reunion
Moonrise Kingdom
Prometheus
Magic Mike
Ted
Savages
The Dark Knight Rises
Killer Joe
The Expendables 2
Paranorman
Arbitrage
End Of Watch
Sinister
Seven Psychopaths
Argo
Cloud Atlas
Flight
Lincoln
Life of Pi
Silver Linings Playbook
Django Unchained
Les Miserables
Beasts Of The Southern Wild
Cabin In The Woods
Zero Dark Thirty

The Movies I Disliked

The Vow
Safe House
A Thousand Words
The Dictator
Men In Black 3
That’s My Boy
The Amazing Spiderman
Total Recall
Looper
The Campaign
Dark Shadows
Taken 2
The Possession

The Movies I Still Want To See:

Act Of Valor
Ruby Sparks
Marley
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter
Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World
Katy Perry Part Of Me
Celeste And Jesse Forever
Red Hook Summer
The Bourne Legacy
Cosmopolis
2016 Obama's America
Hit And Run
Premium Rush
Robot And Frank
The Master
Dredd
Trouble With The Curve
The Perks With Being A Wallflower
Hotel Transylmania
Here Comes The Boom
The Sessions
Wreck It Ralph
The Man With The Iron Fists
This Must Be The Place
Skyfall
Hitchcock
Killing Them Softly
Hyde Park On Hudson
Stand Up Guys
The Impossible
Jack Reacher
Promised Land

[rauldc14]

I'm throwing The Impossible in at #3 on my list currently. Now where the hell is access to Silver Linings Playbook, which hasn't been in any theater remotely close?

Also want to see Les Mis, Django, and Argo next.

[rauldc14]

Update:

1. Flight 9/10
2. The Avengers 8.5/10
3. The Impossible 8/10
4. Silver Linings Playbook 7.5/10
5. Argo 7/10
6. Skyfall 7/10
7. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 7/10
8. Ted 7/10
9. Guilt Trip 6.5/10
10. Rise of the Guardians 6.5/10
11. Lincoln 6.5/10
12. Hotel Transylvania 6/10
13. The Vow 5/10

[Daniel M]

Updated:

Django Unchained 5
Killing Them Softly 4.5
Holy Motors 4.5
Looper 4.5
Moonrise Kingdom 4.5
Skyfall 4
The Dark Knight Rises 4
Ted 4
Flight 3.5
Beasts of the Southern Wild 3.5
Brave 3.5
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3.5
The Amazing Spider-Man 3.5

Then there's:

The Expendables 2 3
Killer Joe 2.5
Project X 2.5
Snow White and the Huntsman 2.5

[Pyro Tramp]

I really haven't watched a lot that was released in 2012 (I think maybe 25-30 films), but for now I'd go with:

1. Jagten (Vinterberg): 4.5
2. Killing Them Softly (Dominik): 4+
3. Magic Mike (Soderbergh): 4+
4. End of Watch (Ayer): 3.5+
5. The Turn Horse (Tarr): 3.5+

Nice list Bro. Is that The Hunt at #1? Been looking forward to that, Mikklson looks fantastic.

[bluedeed]

I'm going to put a thread with my personal comments on each film later, but my list is as follows:
1. The Turin Horse
2. Holy Motors
3. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
4. The Deep Blue Sea
5. The Kid with a Bike
6. Oslo, August 31st
7. Margaret
8. Amour
9. In the Family
10. Moonrise Kingdom

[meatwadsprite]

2012 was an incredible year for movies. I haven't seen so many great flicks back-to-back-to-back since 2007. My biggest complaint is the overall dark tone of many of the best films. Maybe I'm going through a rough time right now, and maybe a lot of people are going through rough times if Hollywood is throwing money at this stuff. Here's my favorites.

(more write ups tomorrow)

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fT9jhFyqJKw/UOg4MMKobWI/AAAAAAAAAbc/Dzwdob1jO00/s1600/jirosushi.jpg

"You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success"

Rarely do I go in for documentaries, so when I do it usually has a lot going for it. Jiro makes all the food in this look incredibly appetizing, while spilling his secrets on cooking techniques as well his life philosophy. A very uplifting, insightful, and dramatic story of men who dedicate their lives to their work, that will inspire your spirit and your appetite.

4

Argo

http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02332/argo_2332534b.jpg

"Argo f*ck yourself"

Immediately once stepping (sitting) in the director's chair , Affleck has churned out quality stuff. With Argo he takes his craft to the next level, disposing of the shootouts from his previous works and in their stead, giddy suspense. The story, while not dramatically unconventional, demands a lot more personality than his previous stuff, there'll be no mistaking this one with any amount of political thrillers.

3.5

Django Unchained

http://cdn1.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Django-Unchained-Leonardo-DiCaprio.jpg

"Kill white people and get paid for it? What's not to like?"

2/3 talk, 1/3 music video. Then there's the coolest movie shootout of all time at the end. Dicaprio and Jackson are in top form here, once they enter the picture it really takes off.

4

The Dark Knight Rises

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q5IxWNA5g-8/UNuenCzMayI/AAAAAAAAAxk/OnkOEejXSuQ/s1600/TheDKRClimb2.jpg

"Boy you're in for a show tonight son"

Had TDKR been better than The Godfather, it would have not lived up to my hype. I've never been more excited for a movie. When I saw the teaser with Gordon in the hospital, I assumed this would be one of the best ever. Now I could go on all day about all the stuff that's wrong with Dark Knight Rises (Bane's stupid plan, useless characters like JGL and Miranda Tate, wasting Tom Hardy and Ben Mendhelsohn) , but I've still seen it six times since it came out in the summer, so it must have something going for it.

Undoubtedly Nolan's weakest of his big budget flicks, it's still got plenty of awesome moments and Hans Zimmer.

3.5

Skyfall

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4z296A3g12A/UJtg4aHUh5I/AAAAAAAAo04/LL23gymE3_o/s1600/skyfall-daniel-craig-judi-dench.jpg

"What do you call that?"
"A waste of good scotch"

4

Monsieur Lazhar

http://media.tiff.net/contents/stills/monsieurlazhar_03.jpg

"At dawn, the ashes cold, the tree stood still but his heart was charred, scarred by the flames, scarred by grief."

3.5

The Master

http://www.awardsdaily.com/wp-content/uploads//2012/09/joaquin-phoenix-the-master.jpg

"If you figure out a way to live without a master, any master, be sure to let the rest of us know, for you would be the first in the history of the world."

4

Lincoln

http://cdn1.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/lincoln-movie-trailer.jpg

"We're whalers Mr. Ashley !"

3.5

Zero Dark Thirty

http://www.humanevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/zero-dark-thirty-politicians-torture-620x319.jpg

"Can I be honest with you? I am bad f**king news. I'm not your friend. I'm not gonna help you. I'm gonna break you."

4.5

The Avengers

http://i46.tinypic.com/9j3e4o.jpg

"That's my secret Cap. I'm always angry"

My new favorite super-hero flick. The villian isn't nearly as menacing as someone like The Joker, but the screenplay is brilliant. I wasn't even looking forward to this one and not only is it a kick ass movie, it rewards you for watching Marvel's mediocre stuff like Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man 2.

4

Looper

http://www.entertainmentfuse.com/images/Joseph-Gordon-Levitt-in-Looper-2012-Movie-Image1-600x301.jpg

"I'm from the future. You should go to China."

What starts as a twisty stylish time travel flick, turns into a real deal action flick. The trick Looper is able to pull, is to create two compelling romances and then pit them against each other. The central character Joe (JGL), is introduced in an honest, unflattering light. Blowing away helpless folks from the future away with a shotgun at point blank range, spending what he can on hookers and drugs, selling out his only friend. The only empathetic thing about Joe is how empty and pathetic his existence is.

Cue "Old Joe" (Bruce Will), more experienced, angrier than his counterpart. He and Jeff Daniels' characters lend the story some much needed humor. Bruce Willis reminds that he is well deserving of serious acting roles and he gives possibly his best performance yet.

This movie resonates beyond my love of movies, for many personal reasons. My favorite in a year full of awesome stuff.

4.5

[Pyro Tramp]

Annoys me that a lot of the Oscar bait-y films i.e. the sort to crop up in theses lists have January release dates here. Then a year later, associate them all as December releases so don't include them.


Also, anyone know how to get the youtube video embedded?

[honeykid]

[*youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxI8K1oPiII&feature=fvwp&NR=1[/youtube]

Take out the * and you get this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxI8K1oPiII&feature=fvwp&NR=1

[Pyro Tramp]

Oh dear god, hope that's not what I get!

That was how had it though, how odd.

[linespalsy]

I don't really understand it or know how widespread it is (it apparently wasn't on honeykid's vid), but youtube has for a while now been deploying http-Secure (so the url starts with "https" instead of just "http"). The embedding code works for me when I drop the s and otherwise use the [youtube] tags just as honeykid did.

[TheUsualSuspect]

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fT9jhFyqJKw/UOg4MMKobWI/AAAAAAAAAbc/Dzwdob1jO00/s1600/jirosushi.jpg
You must dedicate your life to mastering your skill. That's the secret of success"[/SIZE][/B]
4

I decided to watch this based on your placing it in your best of the year list.

[honeykid]

And? What did you think?

[The Prestige]

This has definitely been a solid year for both commercial and independent films. From the British indie scene to big American epics, film seems to be on it's way up.

Here are my pics for the top 10 films of the year, with number 1 being the best.

10. The Dark Knight Rises (Nolan)

http://media2.firstshowing.net/firstshowing/img4/TDKRFavMomentsScenesShotW5-3.jpg

It's not often that a Nolan directed film isn't first place, but for all it's positives, Rises has far too many flaws to go beyond 10th place. It lacks the lyrical elegance of Batman Begins and the intensity of The Dark Knight, but it's still a big epic sweeping effort from the best in the business. It also contains my favourite sequence out of the entire trilogy.


9. Dredd (Travis)

http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/underwire/2012/09/Dredd3D.jpg

I was somewhat excited to see this when it was first announced, but then rumours of rewrites and post production delays sort of put me off. I didn't care about the plot similarities to The Raid, but I did feel that such a film would be better off not being restricted. I stand corrected, however, as Dredd is a very entertaining saturday night B-movie. It's biggest strength is it's all-forward-movement approach. It acts as a film that's got nothing to lose. It doesn't care about franchises, political correctness or star power, it just is. And for that I am grateful.



8. Cabin In The Woods (Goddard, Whedon)

http://cinemagogue.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/xlarge.jpg

Easily the best horror comedy since Scream. For those that haven't seen it, the less said about it, the better. . Scary and funny with likeable characters you root for all the way, this is arguably the most entertaining film of 2012.


7. End Of Watch (Ayer)

http://www.showfilmfirst.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/endofwatch.jpg

Must admit, I didn't think I would rate David Ayer's new cop thriller much. His films have been a bit predictable over the last few years, and despite the cliched 'found footage' technique used, this remains a strong buddy cop thriller. The relationship between Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena's L.A cops is believable to the point where you feel you are actually watching two friends go on about their daily lives. The inevitable shoot outs are quite shocking when they do come about, too. Surprisingly good film.

6. The Kid With A Bike (Dardenne's)


http://www.jonathanrosenbaum.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/thekidwithabike.jpg

I had only just discovered the Dardenne brothers around January last year when I watched The Silence Of Lorna, which I thought was excellent. Since then, I have become quite fascinated with their work. This effort is continues their thematic obsessions of confused, pained down on their luck protagonists who seek redemption. Except this time, the protagonist is a young boy who's been abandoned. It's a film of quiet intensity and the kind of brilliant performances you only really get in films like this.

5. Killer Joe (Friedkin)

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/5/15/1337075839897/Killer-Joe-1-008.jpg

I like my comedies black. Pitch black. But this may have been a bit dark, even for me. This is not a film for everyone. I genuinely believe you need to have THAT kind of sense of humour to get anything out of this film. I think this is William Friedkin's first film since the misstep that was Bug. This is a sweaty noir with not one sympathetic character. This is a world in which characters are frighteningly unintelligent, and the patriarch is pliable and would sell his own daughter for money. It's a ****ed up world, but a very compelling one too.

McCougney has, frankly, never been better. The hints of darkness he showed in the wonderful Frailty are on full display here. His title character is so powerful, such a towering figure of latent menace and violence that when you do see him 'let go' in the film's controversial ending, it's almost a release. Up until then, every line he delivers, even the charming ones, are blood curdling. You'll never want to eat chicken drumstick again.


4. Headhunters (Tyldum)

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Observer/Pix/pictures/2012/4/4/1333550618240/headhunters-008.jpg

Another noirish thriller with shades of dark humour, except this one is Norwegian and features far more sympathetic characters. It's a tale of a insecure con artist/theif, who's grip on his world loosens every min to the point where he has to fight for his life. His troubles escalate to epic proportions when his latest target turns out to be a ex military man who hunts him down, one crazy set piece after another, with our somewhat arseholey protagonist becoming more likeable throughout.


3. Looper (Johnson)

http://cdn1.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Joseph-Gordon-Levitt-as-Young-Joe-in-Looper1.jpg

Rian Johnson's tech noir recalls everything from Terminator to Memento, and while it has nowhere near the depth of the latter, it's still one of the most inventive and stylish science fiction films of the last two years. Ably headed by the ultra charismatic and mesmerising JGL, it's another one of those the less-you-know-the-better types. The only thing that lets it down is a flat ending, otherwise, you'll not find a better sci fi film this year.

2. My Brother The Devil (El Hosaini)

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2012/11/7/1352307639486/My-Brother-the-Devil-010.jpg


Part coming of age drama, part urban thriller. This is no ordinary 'hood' film. There are moments within the film that subvert genre expectations. There is one particular moment I won't give away, but will become quite obvious as you get half way through the film.

It's the story of two Egyptian brothers, older well connected drug dealer, Rash, who, following a tragedy, has a change of heart about the life he leads; and his more academically brighter, yet not as tough on the street younger brother, Mo, who has always idolised his brother and his street cred. Once Rash starts to drift apart from his old gang, Mo see this as an opportunity to become the man he always wanted to be and attempt to replace his brother.

Again, that's the somewhat simple version of the story. It sound predictable, but I guarantee that it's not. Both James Floyd and Fady Elsayed are nothing short of brilliant as the brothers. Watch out for the always excellent Said (La Haine) Taghmaoui, another performance and role that subverts expectations.

It's also got some outstanding cinematography for a film set in unsexy urban environments. Debut filmmaker Sally El Hosaini clearly has a love/hate relationship with that part of the city she lives in, as daytime sequences are captured in a bright, clear style, giving more emphases on the summer season the film is set in, whereas night time scenes have a slight gritty edge to them.

1. Shame (McQueen)

http://cdn1.screenrant.com/wp-content/uploads/Michael-Fassbender-in-Shame-Review.jpg

This is the type of film the tosser american academy won't even dare nominate. They're too scared. Had this been a film about drug addiction or something, it might have had a chance. But noo, nobody wants to talk about sex addiction. These academy slags have no balls whatsoever, which is why this fascinating film wasn't even acknowledged for anything. But i'm not surprised, Shame is too honest, too raw, too emotionally draining for the average person. Sex addiction is, for whatever reason, a taboo subject. Everyone's cool with people being tortured and having their limbs blown off and ****, but nobody wants to get down to the root of sex addiction. That's ok.

Anyways, see this film. I urge you. It's important. It's adult, beautifully directed and photographed, plus Fassbender gives the performance of a life time. Gives new meaning to the term 'f_ckin' the pain out'

Gutted about missing The Hunt. Mikkelsen is wicked and i've heard such great things.

[The Prestige]

Whoops, one more that I completely forgot. I forgot that Treacle Jr came out this year. For some reason, I was thinking it came out last year.

Treacle Jr, I tie that alongside Shame as the best film of 2012.

Treacle Jr (Thraves)

http://hopeliesat24framespersecond.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/treacle_junior01.jpg

Jamie Thraves is probably the most underrated British filmmaker out there. Reuniting with his The Low Down, star, Aiden Gillen, he set out to make a film, and almost crippled himself financially for it. How's this for a REAL low budget indie film? Thraves remortgaged his house to get this film funded. And whilst it didn't pay off commercially, it still didn't stop it from being one of the most engaging, hysterically funny and poignant films of last year.

I actually met the equally criminally underrated and gifted Aiden Gillen around November last year. A true wonderful man, genuinely pleasant and incredibly humble. When I mentioned Treacle Jr he seemed pleasantly surprised that I had seen it, because he hadn't met ANYBODY who had seen. He claimed to have had a lot of fun filming it with Thraves, and it shows. Aiden's scenes have so much going for them as far as humour goes. But he's also an intelligent enough performer to give his character (also called Aiden) a sense of world weariness that he tries to keep hidden through a exuberant and eccentric exterior. It's a wonderful film and it's a shame that nobody has bothered to watch it.

[Mr Minio]

Shame was released in 2011 if I am not mistaken, but it's a true masterpiece. +1 rep for this!

[The Prestige]

It didn't hit cinemas in the UK until mid January. It may have been released in America in late 2011, but it was definitely January 2012 over here.

[linespalsy]

Still too early for me, by my four favorites by a bit are The Dark Knight Rises, Life of Pi, The Hobbit and Cloud Atlas. Four of my very favorites from the last several years, actually.

[seanc]

1
Lincoln

2
The Dark Knight Rises


3
Looper


4
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia


5
Take This Waltz


6
Oslo, August 31st


7
The Avengers


8
Moonrise Kingdom


9
Django Unchained


10
The Master

I thought Lincoln was a near perfect film, absolutely loved it. Great year for movies also really enjoyed Silver Linings Playbook, Beasts Of The Southern Wild and Zero Dark Thirty. I can't wait to see Amour, hasn't been available anywhere near me.

[Mingusings]

1. Django Unchained
2. The Master
3. Life of Pi
4. Killer Joe
5. Silver Linings Playbook
6. Bernie
7. Argo
8. End of Watch
9. Chronicle
10. The Avengers

Still a few here and there I need to catch, in addition to every foreign film!

[Skepsis93]

Still lots to see, but here's what I've enjoyed so far:

4.5:
Django Unchained
The Cabin in the Woods

4:
Moonrise Kingdom
Looper
Zero Dark Thirty
The Dark Knight Rises
Silver Linings Playbook
The Hunger Games

3.5:
Argo
Beasts of the Southern Wild
The Sessions
Ted
Sleepwalk With Me
Side By Side

[bluedeed]

http://indieethos.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/ricsi-and-jc3a1nos-derzsi-in-the-turin-horse-image-courtesy-of-the-cinema-guild.jpg

1. The Turin Horse
The loss of Bela Tarr is a great loss for cinema. Luckily, his final film is no less than superb. The film follows the horse that caused Neitzsche to go insane, and the six days that follow with the owner and his daughter. Open on a 5 minute tracking shot following the horse as it thrashes forward. Accompanied by Mihaly Vig's superb score that builds but never climaxes, this kinetic charge forward that never loses momentum. By the time the film's first cut, you've been hypnotized. Tarr draws the audience in kinetically, so that the hypnosis carries through the static of the rest of the film. Tarr's camerawork is astounding. Every shot is a long take, often in motion. His camera has a weight to it. It always moves, but gracefully, steadily, unflinching. There's a scene where the daughter goes outside , the camera follows, but then shirks away until it needs to go to see her. Something is wrong, and Tarr feels it. Tarr is the camera, and we feel him advising us while not saying exactly what's happening.

The Turin Horse is also a study in film kinetics. As I said, the opening scene had me more tense than any action scene I witnessed this year due to the constant onscreen kinetic energy. There is an ominous and ever present wind. The narrator tells us that the wind only blows in one direction. And so it does. The wind is always blowing left to right across the screen. For almost the entire film, the characters move from right to left. There is a point when the two try to leave their estate. They move across a hill, but something not seen on the other side makes them turn around. The begin to move left to right, and soon after, their world ends. A magnificent film in all aspects.

2. Holy Motors
Leos Carax has made the first great surrealist film since Lynch finished “Inland Empire.” “Holy Motors” is a brilliant film about films, about acting, about life. It begins with Carax himself unlocking a hidden door and entering a movie theater where everybody has fallen asleep. Film is dead in “Holy Motors,” which makes it even more relevant as, in the words of David Bordwell, film is dead criticism is now a significant genre of criticism. The film follows M. Oscar through a typical day. He has appointments in which he immerses himself in a new role and runs around doing bizarre or just surreal things. Oscar is an old beggar, an assassin, the leader of an accordion band, an many more things. I’d have faith in the Academy again if they nominated Denis Lavant for this film. As M. Oscar, he repeatedly creates characters out of thin air, and is to be credited as much as Carax for the film’s successes. Lavant transforms so many times and so well, it makes “Cloud Atlas” look like it was made by children (not that I dislike that film, I enjoyed it very much in fact). The real genius of “Holy Motors” is similar to Lavant’s. The film essentially creates beautiful, strange, touching, and thrilling moments out of thin air. There’s no preamble, just these moments. This ability is what film is all about, it’s pure cinema.

There’s a very fine, maybe even nonexistent line between real and fantasy is “Holy Motors,” as we would expect from a surrealist film. It would seem at first that everyone is like Oscar, switching roles minute to minute, but then again, it seems that the only people that do that are those that are taken around in limos. So cinema is dead here, sort of. “Holy Motors” suggests at first that with the death of cinema, everything becomes art, but maybe what Carax is actually trying to say is that everything can be art if it chooses to, and if this happens enough, why would we need film?

3. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia

Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s incredible film about life and death is a visual masterpiece. The film’s first half follows a team of police officers, a doctor and prosecutor as they canvas the Turkish countryside for a body that their prisoner admitted to burying. He seems to be purposely distracting them. Ceylan hides a story about life within a seemingly dull police procedural. The countryside is dark, lighted only by small, yellow headlights. Ceylan loves long takes and implements them well here in making the night seem endless, as each member of the party starts to see their evening as much more than just a case. The prosecutor and the doctor discuss a story of a woman who predicted her death that seems at first a battle of realism vs. mystery but turns out to be about something much more profound.

We follow the film’s central characters through many revelations all brought by the same thing. The film boasts, as well, many beautiful and perfect scenes. An apple’s journey from a tree through a stream captured in a single take, witnessing the supreme sadness of seeing a face too beautiful for words, the camera forces us to experience the tragedy of children experiencing the effects of the sins of adults. Ceylan’s film is slow, it needs to be. His film is life. We experience characters fruitlessly searching, guided faintly by just small flashes of light, and what do they find in the light of morning? Death.Once Upon a Time in Anatolia haunts you for days on end. It’s the kind of film that makes you slow down, and cancel your plans. It’s one of the best of they year.

4. The Deep Blue Sea
What appears to be a cheap 50s British period piece turns out to be much more. Terence Davies film about love is dazzling and forward moving. There's a swift efficiency to Davies' direction. He knows how to convey the events briefly, and effectively (a suicide, an affair), but also is able to rush past those and then slow down and settle into emotions almost instantly, it's great filmmaking. Rachel Weisz plays Hester in a powerful and unabashed performance welcoming back truly strong female protagonists. She falls in love with an RAF pilot (Tom Hiddelston) because of his boyish charm and passion. What follows is a series of falling outs between characters.

The interest arrives when it is revealed that the location of her attempted suicide was at Freddie’s place, not her husbands. Her husband (Simon Russel Beale) loves her too much to let her be with Freddie, but Freddie does not really love her, or not in the same way, as Hester says. Freddie did not asked to be loved, it was thrust upon him and he doesn’t know how to do it back. Hester’s husband is an intelligent man and the two get along well, it’s obvious that Hester must’ve been the one to initiate their romance. Hester is stuck between a man whom she doesn’t love and a man who can’t love her. I may sound very melodramatic, but it’s carried out with weight, due to three grand performances. It’s a poignant story about the pain of unrequited love, and pain in general.

5. The Kid With a Bike
France's premier filmmakers, Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardennes, turn in another beautiful film. The film follows Cyril (Thomas Doret), a young boy who's living in a foster home since his father left him a month ago. Cyril is constantly looking for him and has the forceful determination only a child can muster. Cyril finally meets someone who will tolerate him. He grabs Samantha (Cecile de France) while running from security at his dad's old apartment and she responds, "You can hold me, just not too hard." It's a beautiful scene that resonates throughout the film. As viewers, we hope that his meeting Samantha (she takes him in on weekends) will halt his continually troublesome momentum. It only aids it. Samantha helps him locate his father.

The Dardennes exploit no emotion and refuse to dramatize this event. His father gets him a drink, talks to him a little, but then says he's too busy. The father tells Samantha not to see him anymore, but she makes him tell Cyril. The scene that follows in the car is devastating in a way that no dramatization of the situation could provide. The Dardennes know this and are very delicate in their storytelling, avoiding cliche's and following a logic instead, what results is devastating because this is what would happen in real life. Finally there's another child in cinema that's not stupid or in the way, or one of those unusually perceptive ones, but real.

6. Oslo, August 31st

A story so specific, it’s universal. Joachim Trier’s story of a dry but not sober drug addict is almost so perceptive of live at times that his addiction becomes completely irrelevent. Trier’s protagonist, Anders (Anders Danielsen Lie), tests our sympathy. He came from an advantaged family (their house has a name), he’s smart, and he’s an ******* (or so people tell him, the film almost constantly references the past though we never see anything but the present). Anders feels bad for himself though he knows it was him that “****ed up,” as he so constantly says.

As Anders meets people from his past, he looks for sympathy constantly, but finds nothing. The film’s best scene involves Anders in a cafe, where he follows the lives of the people who walk by in his head. Nobody is without great pain, that’s all that the world is, to Anders. The cinematography first expresses Anders’s attempt to be happy by living vicariously. Later, it distances us from him as we watch his helpless demise. The cinematography is simple and yet it’s so effective. Trier’s simple last day with a man not psychologically capable of living is the most moving film of the year. It’s a test of our sympathy, and a reminder of why people live, and why they die.

7. Berberian Sound Studio
Peter Strickland has created the second scariest film of the year (next to Amour), and possibly the most innovative. Berberian Sound Studio follows a sound engineer's unlikely work on a 70s Italian horror film. There's something ominous in the works, we can feel it. The tension builds uneasily, mostly through sound. There's a very Lynchian element to the film, and it contains some of his familiar themes.

The most extraordinary thing about the film is, of course, the use of sound. While watching, we're compelled to ask where the music is coming from. Well, obviously it has to come from the movie we're watching, but is it in the film's environment, or over top of it? The interesting thing is that it's always in the environment, but doesn't always feel that way, as if we're merging with this art just as its protagonist is. Brilliant.

8. Amour
Michael Haneke has established himself as the greatest horror director of all time with Amour. It sounds strange to put Amour in the same category as Silence of the Lambs or the horrendous #1 at the box office currently, Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D, but what else does Amour invoke but pure horror at death. He's the greatest because he elevates the genre to a truly terrifying nature. The second scene of Amour is similar to the penultimate shot of Cache. The couple (with the typical Haneke names Georges and Anne) is in a crowded theater. They don't enter first or last, and they're not center, they're just there, they're just people. This is the only scene outside of the apartment, which feels very claustrophobic, especially with Haneke's unmoving camera. It feels trapped.

After the theater, the rest of the film is spent watching Anne's degeneration into death after a stroke. First she can't move her arm, then one side of her body is entirely paralyzed. Georges becomes Anne's caretaker, though he hires a couple of nurses for the more difficult things. Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva are a perfect couple together. Their body language makes it feel like they've been together for 50 years. It's hard to separate Amour from its actors. Trintignant is 80, Riva 82. They will both be dying soon for sure, and we're not sure how, but we know it won't be glamorous. There will be disgustingly plain showers, slow failures of body, and horrifying truths. The real horror in the film is how honest it is. All of it makes too much sense, too much heartbreaking sense.

9. Margaret
Sure, Kenneth Lonergan’s latest might be clumsy, messy, awkward and melodramatic, but that’s just what give it its charm. After many years of fighting over the final cut, a very broken and abridged version of Margaret was released and made under $50,000 at the box office. This year, a director’s cut was released which not only fills in holes, but also provides a new score. Having seen both (For a total of 5 and a half hours of film), I’m still not sure which one’s better. Both are so good that they molded together in my mind to create a masterpiece. The film is about a teenager, Lisa (Anna Paquin), who believes she is to blame for the death of a woman in a bus accident. Lisa believes that the world revolves around her, ironically since the film does. Lonergan, in his recut version, makes it clear that though the film follows her, she’s no more important than anyone in the city. As the camera zooms in on Lisa and a boy hopelessly and depressingly in love with her at a diner, the conversations of 4 other people are heard over top of theirs for the majority of the scene. He doesn’t want anybody left out in a city that’s suffering, Lisa’s story becomes a synecdoche for the city and for America as a whole.

This joins Spike Lee’s 25th Hour as the two most perceptive films about post 9/11 New York. Margaret is also the best example of human behavior I’ve seen in film all year. There’s a painfully awkward scene where Lisa loses her virginity to a laughably relaxed Kieran Culkin. It’s not awkward because its bad. It’s awkward because we’ve all experienced it. We see ourselves onscreen and are disgusted. I swear its, for me, a word for word parallel with my life. Lonergan’s dialogue plays out like a Derridian version of Aaron Sorkin. His script is smart, it’s fast, but it also has meaning within itself whereas Sorkin’s scripts usually work off of current happenings. It makes Lonergan timeless. Lonergan’s meditation on post-9/11 New York, death, and the failures of communication is a magnificent success.

10. In the Family
Remember the name Patrick Wang for he is poised to become America’s next great director. His first feature, In the Family is brave, artistic, and beautiful. Wang’s story revolves around a child custody case that develops when Joey’s (played by Wang himself) partner Cody (Trevor St. John) dies in a car accident, but Joey has no legal right to be their son’s guardian. The story reveals the terrible but true nature of people. The characters in In the Family would never call themselves racist or homophobic. In fact, there is never a negative reference by any of the offending characters to Cody and Joey’s relationship. The disapproval is there, but they are not the kind of people who would allow themselves to admit it.

Wang has a real directorial eye which, though flawed, lends itself to some beautiful compositions in some unexpected places. Wang has skill and relies on longer, thoughtfully composed, takes, many times with the action is going on in the background with something else blocking or crowding the frame. While not Citizen Kane like blocking which adds to each individual shot, Wang’s style does achieve a level of thematic resonance with his cinematography, a true achievement. This film teeters so close to being a Lifetime or Hallmark movie, but evades every opportunity through Wang’s discipline. This is the start of a potentially great film career.

[honeykid]

I've not seen Amour, but if you're putting it in the same genre as Silence of the Lambs, then it's not horror.

[bluedeed]

I've not seen Amour, but if you're putting it in the same genre as Silence of the Lambs, then it's not horror.

Substitute your choice of horror then, and the point wasn't really to classify or confine the film to a particular genre. Amour would exist in an expanded genre of horror. It holds none of the cinematic or narrative conventions of the genre, I called it horror because that's the central feeling invoked. There's nothing greater evoked in the film than a crippling sense of terror.

[seanc]

I really enjoyed reading your list even though I have only seen 4 of the films. The Kid With A Bike has been in my netflix que forever so I will have to catch up with it real soon. I cannot wait to see Amour, I have been so disappointed that it hasn't come to any theater in my area. With all the praise it's getting I just hope my expectations aren't too high. Didn't consider Margaret for my top ten, don't really have a good reason why since no one saw it before this year. I have to say it would probably have made it, I have really enjoyed both of Lonergan's films. I do feel that he has a closing problem, which is what probably keeps both his movie from being dramatic masterpieces for me.

[The Rodent]

There's only 4 that really appealed to my movie tastes...

The Dark Knight Rises... I rated at 98% 4.5++
Dredd... I rated at 96% 4.5+
The Expendables 2... I rated at 92% 4.5
Prometheus... I rated at 89% 4.5


I guess I'm just a sci-fi and action fan.

[The Prestige]

Surprised you liked Prometheus, Rodent. I was disappointed by it.

[meatwadsprite]

I guess I'm just a sci-fi and action fan.

Then where's looper ?! :mad:

[Agrajag]

I'm up to 54 movies so far for 2012. It's been a pretty positive year. I keep a log of the movies I enjoyed most and least (along, of course, with a complete list). Sometime during February I do a "Best Of" post for each year picking the top and bottom 5.

My top films so far:

Les Miserables
Life Of Pi
Flight
Searching For Sugar Man
Moonrise Kingdom
Headhunters
Safety Not Guaranteed
Your Sister's Sister

Headhunters isn't even getting mentioned at awards shows and it's winning everyone over I get to see it.

[rauldc14]

Alright folks, another update:

1. Flight 9/10
2. The Avengers 8.5/10
3. The Impossible 8/10
4. The Dark Knight Rises 8/10
5. Silver Linings Playbook 7.5/10
6. Django Unchained 7.5/10
7. Argo 7/10
8. Skyfall 7/10
9. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
10. Ted 7/10
11. Life of Pi 7/10
12. Guilt Trip 6.5/10
13. Rise of the Guardians 6.5/10
14. Lincoln 6/10
15. Hotel Transylvania 6/10
16. Amour 5/10
17. The Vow 5/10
18. The Master 1/10

[Pyro Tramp]

Ahh just got Shame on Blu Ray to watch again, forget the great January films

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

The Hobbit and Dark Knight Rises are probably my favorite, followed by The Avengers. I only saw about 1 this year, and those ones stood out the most.

[Mr Minio]

18. The Master 1/10 Why so low? I haven't seen the movie, but I don't think it's so bad it deserves 1/10. I understand that you might not like Amour and thus rated it 5, but why do you grant the worst note to The Master?

[honeykid]

Why so low? I haven't seen the movie, but I don't think it's so bad it deserves 1/10. I understand that you might not like Amour and thus rated it 5, but why do you grant the worst note to The Master?
Part of your answer lies here. :)

http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?p=876824

[The Prestige]

I really need to see Amour. I've avoided it partly because it does sound heartbreaking and partly because I don't rate Heneke as much as most people do. But i'm definitely going to seek it out once I get the chance. But before that, The Hunt

[Skepsis93]

Still need to see a few, but here's how I see the year at this point:

1. THE MASTER (Paul Thomas Anderson) 4.5
2. DJANGO UNCHAINED (Quentin Tarantino) 4.5
3. LIFE OF PI (Ang Lee) 4+
4. LOOPER (Rian Johnson) 4
5. SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (David O. Russell) 4
6. MOONRISE KINGDOM (Wes Anderson) 4
7. THE HUNGER GAMES (Gary Ross) 4
8. WRECK-IT RALPH (Rich Moore) 4
9. ZERO DARK THIRTY (Kathryn Bigelow) 4
10. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (Christopher Nolan) 4-

Also liked:

BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD (Benh Zeitlin) 3.5
ARGO (Ben Affleck) 3.5
LINCOLN (Steven Spielberg) 3.5
TED (Seth MacFarlane) 3.5
THE SESSIONS (Ben Lewin) 3.5
SHAME (Steve McQueen) 3.5
SIDE BY SIDE (Christopher Kenneally) 3.5
THE AVENGERS (Joss Whedon) 3.5-
SLEEPWALK WITH ME (Mike Birbiglia) 3.5-

To see: Les Miserables, Amour, The Impossible, Flight.

http://cdn.theguardian.tv/brightcove/poster/2012/9/2/120902VeniceTheMaster_6614695.jpg

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/pictures/2013/1/16/1358352976188/Django-Unchained-010.jpg

[covenfilms]

Like crazy,take shelter.

[Equilibrium]

I still need to see Dredd, Life of Pi, Lincoln, and Cloud Atlas. But from what I did see:

Django unchained for sureeeeee the best movie of the year which was surprising to me since I thought the hobbit was going to nail it.

[inspire_08]

In my opinion the best movie of 2012 was Avengers

[Sinny McGuffins]

Top 14 films of 2012

http://cdn.mos.totalfilm.com/images/m/moonrise-kingdom-06-470-75.jpg


1. Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson)
2. The Avengers (Joss Whedon)
3. Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino)
4. The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson)
5. Holy Motors (Leos Carax)

4

6. Looper (Rian Johnson)
7. Killing Them Softly (Andrew Dominik)
8. Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow)
9. Berberian Sound Studio (Peter Strickland)
10. Killer Joe (William Friedkin)
11. Silver Linings Playbook (David O. Russell)
12. Amour (Michael Haneke)
13. Side by Side (Christopher Kenneally)
14. Cabin in the Woods (Drew Goddard)

3.5

[twisted_state]

Django Unchained and Dark Knight Rises. And please don't kill me, but Avengers were below average :(

[BlueLion]

There are still many films that were released last year and that I haven't seen yet, especially critically acclaimed ones (such as Moonrise Kingdom, The Avengers, The Master, Amour, Beasts of the Southern Wild etc.), so for now I'd say I'm only able to form a top 5, and my top 5 would be:

1- Django Unchained 4.5
2- Argo 4.5
3- Life of Pi 4.5
4- Silver Linings Playbook 4.5
5- Zero Dark Thirty / Skyfall 4

[Mckeever]

1 - Headhunters 5

2 - The Master 5

3 - Prometheus 5

4 - Django Unchained 4.5

5 - Cloud Atlas 4.5

6 - Chronicle 4.5

7 - The Cabin In The Woods 4

8 - Wreck It Ralph 4

9 - The Hobbit 3.5

10 - Flight 3.5

[hapax_legomena]

I still need to see a lot of 2012 movies. I'm always late to the party.

1. Amour 4.5

2. The Master 4.5

3. Moonrise Kingdom 3.5

4. Holy Motors 3.5

5. Django Unchained 2.5

6. Bernie 2.5

7. Wrong 2.5

8. The Raid: Redemption 2.5

9. Cosmopolis 2.5

10. The Dark Knight Rises 2

[rauldc14]

ironically, you're favorites are my least favorites.

[TheUsualSuspect]

Suspect's Top Films

10. Side By Side

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/1385a92d-a6bf-43ac-822f-e26afdc62916.jpg?t=1365648756

Great insight from those in the industry about the process of working with photochemical film and the new wave of digital filmmaking. Both sides are given equal opportunity to give the pros and cons.

9. Wreck it Ralph & Looper

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/dcf16e41-50b2-46f2-a079-b9cff5085b5f.jpg?t=1365648903 http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/looper.jpg?t=1365562618

Wreck-It-Ralph and Looper tie for the 9th spot. Both films create a unique world, set up the rules and follow through with them. The second half of both feel a bit different than the initial set up, but deliver on what was promised.

8. Skyfall

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/skyfall.jpg?t=1365562724

James Bond is back and better than ever. Beautifully shot with great stakes given to the supporting characters. Bardem seems to be having a fun time with the villain role and the action set pieces are entertaining enough.

7. Moonrise Kingdom

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/moonrise.jpg?t=1365562832

A welcomed addition to the list of Wes Anderson films. Quirky and just the right amount of weird you'd expect from Anderson. It took me awhile to get into the style and story, but once I was in, I was enthralled till the end.

6. Les Miserables

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/les.jpg?t=1365562939

A lot of people are hating on the directorial choices here, but I was game from the get-go. I think Hooper took a lot of chances with this film and while not all of them pay off, enough do it to make the #6 spot.

5. The Dark Knight Rises

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/bane.jpg?t=1365563066

Epic in scope and would never meet those expectations. Despite being an excellent film above and beyond, the problems seem more apparent than any other entry. Bane is a great villain, Bale gives his best Wayne performance and it was a fitting ending to the saga.

4. The Avengers

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/avengers-1.jpg?t=1365563193

While The Dark Knight Rises is what comic book films could be, The Avengers is what comic book films should be. A fun wild ride that should have failed, but managed to blow many expectations away. Joss Whedon managed to capture every aspect he needed to. Bravo.

3. Argo

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/argo-1.jpg?t=1365563315

The Best Picture winner that is well deserved. Affleck brings the 70's back to the big screen with a tense thriller with next to no action. Solid performances, writing and direction make this film a must watch.

2. The Cabin in the Woods

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/cbin.jpg?t=1365563433

The most fun I've had in the theatre in years. A thrill ride from start to finish. Im a huge fan of the genre and loved the winks and nods to other films. Joss Whedon had an excellent year.

1. Cloud Atlas

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v118/layden/cloud.jpg?t=1365563523

Beautifully messy. Cloud Atlas was unlike anything else I saw this year. It's not perfect, but that's what makes it perfect. :p


Honourable Mention:

Seven Psychopaths, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, The Imposter



The Worst Films of the Year


5. ATM

3 people get stuck in an ATM shelter by a crazed lunatic. What makes this film utter trash is all the convenient circumstance that had to take place for any of this to even remotely work. The ending is even more bizarre when you stop to actually think about it. Interesting concepts that are never fully realized make the worst horror films, since they have some interesting potential and fall flat on their face. ATM falls flat and never manages to get back up.

4. That's My Boy

Adam Sandler has fallen far from the tree, which was never really high to begin with. His last few films simply showcase Sander being himself, a regular guy with lots of money and a sense of humour. That's My Boy has Sandler channelling his 'character' side and unfortunately his audience has seem to grown up and left him behind. That's My Boy is painfully unfunny and throws in some sick twisted incest humour that never gets any laughs. Sandler doing weird voices is so 90's.

3. Resident Evil: Retribution

What number is this one? When your film has to take ten minutes to recap the previous films you know you're in trouble. Here is another useless entry and serves no purpose other than to make a few quick bucks. What story developments happen? None. Much like the last entry, the last 5 minutes manages to move the story a few feet in one direction. All that crap that came before it was a visual orgasm and an eyesore at the same time. The Resident Evil films are dead and unlike the characters, should have stayed dead.

2. Piranha 3DD

How the hell is this not number one? Why the hell did I go to see this trash? Reasonable questions. I really liked Aja's entry and this one is painfully lacking all the thrills, gore, humour and fun. Obscene amounts of nudity at a water park? Yawn. The film is about 70 minutes, with ten minutes of credits, ten minutes of underwater 'swim' moments and ten minutes of screams. Useless beyond imagination. Even if you're looking for a bad film to enjoy, skip this crap.

1. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

Why is this number one and not Piranha 3DD? For the simple fact that this film has something going for it, Piranha had nothing. Ghost Rider stars Nic Cage in which he takes the character, makes him alien like and boring. The special effects are neat, but that's about it. This film is WEIRD, even by comic book standards. While the first was your typical hollywood fare, this entry is nothing of the sorts. It pains me to think about the scenes in this film. I usually give Cage a pass on the account that I'm a huge fan, but even I have my limits.

[fuze931]

Goon.

[Daniel M]

Seeing as I saw a lot of 2012 films, here's my ratings:

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/1206/2012films.png


Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino) 5
Holy Motors (Leos Carax) 5
The Master (Paul Thomas Anderson) 5
Killing Them Softly (Andrew Dominik) 4.5
Looper (Rian Johnson) 4.5
Life of Pi (Ang Lee) 4.5
Moonrise Kingdom (Wes Anderson) 4+
Lincoln (Steven Spielberg) 4+
Skyfall (Sam Mendes) 4+
Argo (Ben Affleck) 4
Frankenweenie (Tim Burton) 4
Ted (Seth MacFarlane) 4-
Zero Dark Thirty (Kathryn Bigelow) 3.5+
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt) 3.5+
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Peter Jackson) 3.5+
The Dark Knight Rises (Christopher Nolan) 3.5
Brave (Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell) 3.5
Avengers Assemble (Joss Whedon) 3.5
Les Misérables (Tom Hooper) 3.5
The Amazing Spider-Man (Marc Webb) 3.5-
Flight (Robert Zemeckis) 3.5-
Wreck-It Ralph (Rich Moore) 3+
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Benh Zeitlin) 3+
The Expendables 2 (Simon West) 3
ParaNorman (Chris Butler, Sam Fell) 3
Men in Black 3 (Barry Sonnenfeld) 3
Project X (Nima Nourizadeh) 3
Hotel Transylvania (Genndy Tartakovsky) 2.5+
Snow White and the Huntsman (Rupert Sanders) 2.5+
Taken 2 (Olivier Megaton) 1

Also films that were released in 2012 but IMDB has them as 2011:

The Cabin in the Woods (Drew Goddard) 3.5+
The Grey (Joe Carnahan) 3.5
Killer Joe (William Friedkin) 3
Jeff, Who Lives at Home (Jay Duplass, Mark Duplass) 3

[Guaporense]

Haven't watched much from 2012 but I guess my current favorite is a movie that wasn't released in 2012 in the west. I also haven't watched PTA's The Master. I haven't watched much from 2012.

My ranking of 2012 movies I have watched until now would be:

1 - Wolf Children (it's an anime film heavily influenced by Miyazaki, though it has its own flavor)
2 - Django Unchained
3 - Chronicle
4 - Prometheus
5 - The Dark Knight Rises
6 - The Grey
7 - The Avengers
8 - Skyfall
9 - Get the Gringo
10 - Argo
11 - 21 Jump Street
12 - The Hobbit
13 - John Carter
14 - The Dictator
15 - Lockout
16 - Men in Black 3
17 - The Hunger Games
18 - Brave (worst Pixar movie I ever watched)
19 - That's My Boy
20 - Battleship

The last two are quite below the standards of the other 18.

[TokeZa]

I have only seen 15 films from 2012 and the only ones that i am really excited about is Holy Motors and The Act of Killing...


1. Holy Motors
2. The Act of Killing
3. Django Unchained
4. Killer Joe
5. Ashes
6. Moonrise Kingdom
7. Argo
8. Prometheus
9. The Raid: Redemption
10. The Cabin in the Woods
11. The Dark Knight Rises
12. Cosmopolis
13. Dredd
14. Total Recall
15. End of Watch

[Mr Minio]

Hmmm, so many people granted high notes to Holy Motors, but judging from the scenes I've seen on YouTube I wouldn't enjoy it. Looked pretty random and controversial. Any chance I might like it?

[Daniel M]

Hmmm, so many people granted high notes to Holy Motors, but judging from the scenes I've seen on YouTube I wouldn't enjoy it. Looked pretty random and controversial. Any chance I might like it?

Possibly, it's quite artistic and nothing like a conventional American film. It's something that needs to be watched as a piece of film, not a story or anything like that, there's no real story, but it's the experience that makes it so great, Lavant gives a mesmerizing performance as a man moving from one 'appointment' to the next (kind of the plot), it's about the various roles that people play, life, but much more than that. It also seems to have quite a bit to save about movies themselves. The strangest, most mesmerizing but pleasing film that I saw last year, you should definitely watch it.

[Proximity]

From what I've seen, my favorites were Django Unchained and Dredd. The best was The Master.

I admit I need to see a lot more from 2012.

[Guaporense]

It takes years until the real gems produced each year are discovered and disseminated among film buffs. I didn't watch many 2012 films in 2012 and 2013 because I am watching all the classics right now.

[Frightened Inmate No. 2]

These are the movies I saw from this year, ranked:

1. The Dark Knight Rises 4.5
2. The Hobbit 4.5
3. The Avengers 4
4. Wreck-it Ralph 4
5. Skyfall 3.5
6. Moonrise Kingdom 3.5
7. The Hunger Games 3.5
8. Life of Pi 3
9. Brave 2.5
10. Parental Guidance 2
11. The Lorax 1.5
12. Madagascar 3 1.5
13. Hotel Trannsylvania 0.5

[Guaporense]

Hmmm, so many people granted high notes to Holy Motors, but judging from the scenes I've seen on YouTube I wouldn't enjoy it. Looked pretty random and controversial. Any chance I might like it?

I personally think that it is impossible for one person to say whether another person will like a movie or not. In fact, the only way for you to say wheter you like a film or not is to watch it.

[Tugg]

My Top 10 Favorite Movies of 2012



Spring Breakers
The Cabin in the Woods
Avengers Assemble
The Hunt
The Rise
Jack Reacher
Looper
The Hunger Games
Savages
Lawless